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Multiple Airlines Break Flight Law, Hundreds of Disney Guests Stranded at Airport Overnight

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Posted on by Alessia Dunn 3 Comments
Crowds flooding Orlando International Airport

Credit: News 13, X

When guests visit Walt Disney World, they may expect to be stuck on an attraction or in a line, but stuck on a plane? That is a lot less fun.

Having an attraction evacuate guests at Disney World is not incredibly common; however, it can happen! When an evacuation happens, this means that the attraction can no longer continue moving on its track due to mechanical issues or safety issues. When this happens, Disney has to ensure that all guests at the attraction can exit safely.

train-evacuation
Credit: Ornery_Comfortable93

If an evacuation happens, guests will be altered through speakers that a Cast Member will be on the way to help them exit the attraction safely. Oftentimes, work lights will turn on, and attraction music and function will stop so that guests can safely exit and have full sight to see where they are walking. For example, evacuating guests from Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Walt Disney World is easy as the floor is flat without many obstacles. But if we look at an attraction that deals with water or heights, things can get a little more complex.

mad tea party evacuation
Credit: Inside the Magic

After you have been safely escorted off the attraction, do not fret, your time has not gone to waste! Disney will offer any guest that has been evacuated from an attraction a multi-experience Lightning Lane. This means that guests can go to another attraction and use the Lightning Lane pass line to skip the attraction that same day. Depending on the attraction, they may also give you a pass to ride again. For example, Rise Against the Resistance is not an attraction that qualifies for a multi-experience Lightning Lane pass and will often allow guests to return to the ride once it is operational to ride again.

Credit: u/BarrelRoll97

Being escorted off a plane is a lot different and can certainly disrupt travel plans. Orlando International Airport is a high-volume airport as many passengers fly in and out of the city every day, since there is huge tourism in the area. With Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort offering so much to do, making a vacation out of a visit to Orlando is incredibly easy.

Typically, bad weather is the main culprit of flight cancelations. Most recently, Hurricane Idalia canceled hundreds of flights going in and out of MCO.

wait times for orlando international airport
Credit: Orlando International Airport

Yesterday, it seems tons of tourists ended up stuck on flights for hours without movement, with many flights ending up canceled. For those who were traveling home, they were not rescheduled until the next day, stranding them in the airport without a place to sleep.

Double M (@kingofswae) was stuck on a Delta plane for hours, and reportedly was being lied to by staff.

@Delta thank you for the 2 hour tarmac delay in orlando and the incompetent pilot who kept telling us it would be 10 more minutes the entire time 🤣🤣

Cheryl Platz (is on BlueSky and mstdn.social) (@funnygodmother) said, ” Hey, remember when Delta broke the law with us in July by timing out pilots during 2 2-3 hour tarmac holds (where we weren’t provided food or water within DOT guidelines?) They just did it to my parents. In the same city. Orlando.” It seems Cheryl is accusing Delta of keeping passengers on a stagnent plane with no food or drinks.

Cheryl also attached an article which referenced this being a common practice for the airline, “On July 14, 2023, Delta Air Lines broke the law at least twice when handling DL 652, originally scheduled to depart from Orlando at 4:20 PM, destined for LAX. We as passengers were subjected to four tarmac holds, two of which violated this Department of Transportation rule”.

The law states:

14 CFR chapter II, subchapter A — Part 259, ENHANCED PROTECTIONS FOR AIRLINE PASSENGERS
§ 259.4.C.4 Contingency Plan for Lengthy Tarmac Delays: For all flights if the aircraft remains on the tarmac, each covered carrier must provide adequate food and potable water no later than two hours after the main aircraft door is closed (in the case of a departure) or touches down (in the case of an arrival), unless the pilot-in-command determines that safety or security considerations preclude such service;

Violations of these regulations carry a fine of up to $27,500 per passenger per occurrence. So, it seems Cheryl’s family can expect a large payout from the airline.

Is seems that multiple flights were canceled due to Delta pilots exceeding their hour limit. That being said, passengers were still told to board planes and sit there without the intention of the plane ever taking off. According to their website, dozens of flights were canceled, and no other flights were added that same day. This likely means that many were left waiting until the following day for a flight, without a hotel to return to.

Delta seems to not have been the only airline canceling flights in Orlando yesterday. Eilidh (@EilidhFace22) said they were, “Treated absolutely abhorrently by@British_Airways. Cancelled flight from Orlando to Glasgow and offered absolutely no reasonable solution. Absolute hell.”

Another passenger commented on that same flight. Suzanne Baxter (@SBaxter2023) said, “@British_Airways on behalf of friends, who are currently exhausted and no clue what the plan is currently in Miami due to their London- Orlando bound flight being diverted to Miami. No water being handed out. Are staff going to help on the ground?”

 

Tesla Myers also called out, “@FlyFrontier Our flight from Orlando to Dominican Republic was cancelled due to weather. HUNDREDS of people displaced… I overheard some people urgently needing to get there due to a dying relative. What weather? Can you explain?”

This is yet another noting that hundreds of guests were stuck without the option to head to their home base.

Bree (@duhhthassbree) also spoke out on their flight being canceled leaving them stuck in Orlando.

It’s the flight being cancelled for me and we in Orlando.

Hopefully, these airlines see less cancelations today, and guests are able to begin and end their Disney vacation with less stress!

Have you ever had your Disney World vacation altered due to a canceled flight?

If you are looking to visit Walt Disney World Resort for a magical vacation, the Walt Disney World Website can be a great tool to begin planning your trip! You can begin exploring their theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT. You can also take a look at their water parks where you can splash around in the chill of Disney’s Blizzard Beach (alongside new Frozen characters, Anna, Elsa, Sven, and Kristoff), or hit the waves at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. When you get hungry or want to go shopping, Disney Springs is the place to be, especially with World of Disney there ready to help you pick up some souvenirs! You can also begin looking for your Disney World Resort! If you are looking to stay at a Deluxe monorail Resort like Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa or a Value Resort where you can hop on the Skyliner like Disney’s Pop Century Resort, it is always fun to begin looking for a room that would best suit you and your party. Plus, it has all the information you need to know on Disney Genie+ so that you will be ready to go on your My Disney Experience app once you download it! Click here to check it out today.

 

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